Adjustable seat base



Jan. 8, 1.946. E, HOLM ADJUSTABLE SEAT BASE Filed Aug. 21|, 1942 Patented Jan. 8, 1946 Holms Manufacturin df Wisconsin ha,-y Wis., assignor to.

g Company, a corporation` ApplicationAugust 21, 1942, SerialNo: 455,630v

6 Claims.

'Ifhis'A invention relatessto improvementsv in adjustable -seatbases and more particularly to a seat base which permits adjustment of the seatverticallyfwhereby the seat may be adjusted to the mostvcomfortable position for persons ofdilerent height.

The main objectsof the invention are to provide astructure of the character indicated which will bezofvery strong but simple construction and whichfwill be easily adjustable toany selected heightwithin a considerable range;` to provide a structure of the character indicated which will eiectively` lock itself in adjusted position against downward movement but .which may nevertheless be easily adjusted both upwardly and downwardly when so desired; and in general, it is the object-ofthe invention to provide an improved vertically adjustable seat base structure of the character indicated.

Other1 objects and advantages. ofthe invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing wherein there is -illustrated an adjustable seat base structuregembodying a selected form of the invention.

In `thev drawing Fig;v lisa verticalsectional viewthrough the improved-structure.-

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section corresponding. to i allot-'tion of; Figure l-but showing a changed position:

Fig, 3 is a section on the line 3--3k of Fig. 1. The'improved ,seat base structureshown in the drawingvcom-prises a main base member 5 here shown intheform'of a cast metal member but obviously adapted to be otherwise made or fabri-r cated if preferred. The lower end of the baseis suitably Iianged and reinforced as indicated at 6to :facilitate mounting of the structure on a licor, the` flange 6 beingr adapted to have anchoring boltsor the like passed therethrough. The upper end of the base 5 is provided with a ,pair of openings 'I and 8v for vertically slidably receiving a pairofround tubular posts 9 and I0 which de pend, from a seat frameY II having a suitably cushioned seat structure I 2 secured thereon. The posts A9 and ID vare `preferably rigidly secured to thev seat frame II so that the seat structure and the posts move as one.'-

andlower ends with' a, transverse web I3 preferand-l5 whichvarefrespectively axially alined with the openings I and 8 in the upper end ofthe base.`

Thepests Sfand In are each ;'slidabletlriroug-ha;A

'Iz'he base 5 isprovided intermediate its uppervertically spaced pair of openings wherebynor= mal verticality of th'e posts with reference to the' base 5 is effectively maintained;

1 Means for locking the seat structure includingtheiposts 9 and IIlin anyselected upwardly adjusted position comprises, in this instance, a

cramping member or ring |61 which is providedwith an opening of slightly larger diameter than thev diameter ofthe post 9 which passes through said ring. The ring IB is equippedvwith' diametrically oppositely extending ears or lugs`A II and I8,

the lug I1 extending into overlying relation to a pin or rod I9*` which is-carr'ied bythe base 5; As

shown, the base is Vsuitably shaped toenclose they posts 9 and I0 and the cramping ringIG'and suit'- able strengthening bosses are provided forsupporting the pin I9.

Coil springs 20` and 2I are seated-in suitableV recesses provided in the-web I3 andexert down'- wardly directed pressure on the opposite ends of the ring I6. The spring y2IJserves to hold the ear I'I' of the ring in bearing engagement with the pin I9 and the spring 2| exerts a downward pressure on the ear I8 of the ring so as to rockthe ring downwardly about the supporting pin I9-as a fulcrum. The ring I6 is thus caused to assume a cramping position about the post 9` which will normally prevent the post from moving down; wardly. It will, h'owever, be apparent that upward movement' of the seat and the post 9 (and post I il) maybe effected by merely liftingthe seatL upwardly.

The post 9is provided adjacent its lower end to its disabled position as shown in Figure 2, theseat structure, including the posts 9 and IB, may be moved downwardly. The fit of the posts in the openings wherein the posts are slidably disposed may be such as to require a slight force to move= the seat downwardly or, if preferred', the fit may be sufficiently loose to permit the seat structure to drop downwardly of its own weight when the cramping effect of the ring I6 is eliminated in the manner explained.

For llir'ilding the ring I6 in its disabled position, there `.is-provided a dog or pawl 23 which is pivotallyrmounted as indicated at 2:!! on a pin or shaft suitably supported in the'base 'structure' as shown. Said' dog-23`is countereweighted by mean'sof a transverse -pin 25f-so as to cause` the` same toano'rmally.. rest. againstzthe adjacent Yedge;4

Y of the ring I6 as shown in Figure 1 and to rock position shown in Y merely necessary to to the position shown in Figure 2 wherein the nose part or seat 26 of the dog underlies the adjacent end portion I8 of the ring and will be operative to arrest downward rocking of the ring inl `a position in which theV ring is inoperative to Ilock the post 9 against downward movement.

Downward rocking movement of the dog may be limited by engagement -of its tail piece 21 with the underlying portion of the web I3. Said tail piece Y21 extends through a slo-t 28 in the post I0 so that when the seat structure is lowered to its lowermost position, the upper end wall 29 of the slot 28 will engage said tail piece 21 to rock the dog upwardly past said cramping ring I6 to permit the ring to resume its operative or cramping position as shown in Figure 1. Such rocking movement of the dog upwardly past the ring is of course permitted incident to the space between the upper face of thering I6 and the bottom face of the web I3 which permits the ring to be i adjusted to the upwardly inclined position shown in Figure 2 inQwhich the dog may freely pass the adjacent end of the ring.

The bottom end 30 of the slot 28 may be relied upon to insure movement of the pawl from the Y Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2 when the seat is adjusted to its uppermost limit of movement. Hence any sticking of the dog or other interference with its rocking movement as inuenced by the counter-weight 25 will be effectively overcome.

Y From the foregoing explanation, it will be seen that the seat structure may be adjusted upwardly to any given point within the range of its ad-` justability without manipulating any levers, screws or other clamping or other devices. It is liittheseat to the desired position where'it will automatically be locked. In the event that it is desired to lower the seat from some previously adjusted position, the seat structure is raised to its highest position to disable the cramping ring I whereupon the seat` structure is permitted to drop or is lowered to its lowermost position wherein the cramping ring is restored to operativeness. Thereupon the seat may be again liftedV to the desired position of adjustment which may be lower than the position in which it was initially found. yThe described structure is especially adaptable toV the drivers seat in various types of vehicles such as busses, trucks and other forms of vconveyances and it may of course be employed wherever a vertically adjustable seat is desired. The operation of adjusting the seat requires no special equipment and it may of course be effected by anyproperly instructed person. The structure is of simple and durable character having no complicated or critical adjustments.

Changes in the described structure may be made without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art. g

I claim: Y l. A seat structure of the class described comprising a normally stationary base, a seat frame, a horizontally spaced, relatively fixed pair o-f postsV extending from said seat frame into said base and slidably supported thereim means carried by said base for automatically locking one of said posts against downward movement while permitting upward movement thereof, thereby to support the seat frame in selected position of adjustment relative to the basa. means carried by one of said posts for automatically engaging and disabling said locking means when the seat is raised to its upper limit of adjustment to thereafter permit lowering of the seat, a latch carried by said base for retaining said locking means in disabled condition during the downward adjustment of said posts, and means carried by the other of said posts for automatically engaging and releasing said latch when the seat is adjusted to its limit of downward movement, thereby to restore said locking means to operative condition.

V2. A seat structure of the class described comprising a normally stationary base, a seat frame, a pair of relatively fixed, transversely spaced parallel posts depending from said seat frame into said base and slidably supported therein, a cramping ring disposed around one of said posts and supported adjacent one side of such post by said base, means normally urging said ring into downwardly inclined cramping engagement with thev embraced post to lock the same against `downward movement, an abutment carried by said embraced post for engaging said cramping ring upon upward movement of said seat frameV when said seat frame and posts reach their said' lower limit oi movement, thereby to restore said cramping ring to operative condition.

3, VA structure according to claim 2 wherein the base is provided with vertically spaced bearing openings for slidably receiving the posts.

4. A seat structure according to claim2 Wherein the latch is provided with a tail portion and the other of the Yposts is slotted to permit'passage of said tail portion .into such post, and wherein the upper end of the slot constitutes the abutment for engaging the latch to release said cramping ring.

5. A seat structure of the class described comprising a normally stationary base, a seatframe, a post extending from said seat frame into said base and slidably supported thereby, means on said base engageable with said post for automatically locking said post against downward movement in said base while permitting upward movelment thereof thereby to `support the seat frame in selected position of adjustment relative to said base, means carried by said post for disabling said locking means automatically when the seat is raised-to its upper limit of adjustment there- V Vafter to permit downward adjustmentof the seat,

a latch on said` base engageable with said lockingrmeans for-retaining said locking means, in disabled condition during the downward movement of said seat and post, a vertical slotted member xed to said seat frame for unison movement with said post within said base, and a finger on said latch extending into said slot for engagement with the upper -end thereof whereby said latch is actuated to release said locking means when said seat reaches the limit of its downward movement. Y

6. A seat structure of the class described comi prising a normally stationary base, a seat frame, a post extending from said seat frame into said base and slidably supported thereby, a cramping ring disposed around said post and supported adjacent to one side thereof by said base, means normally urging said ring into downwardly cramping engagement with the embraced post to lock the same against downward movement, an abutment carried by said embraced post for engaging said cramping ring upon upward movement of said seat frame and post to their upper limit of movement to automatically disable said 10 ring so as to permit free downward movement of said post and said frame to the limit of their movement, a latch carried by said base for retaining sad cramping ring in its disabled position during said downward movement of said seatframe and post, and means Xed for unison movement with said post for releasing said latch when said seat reaches the limit of its downward movement.

LUTHER E. HOLM. 

